So I seem to spend a lot of time on here, when not working, seeking out awesome bands/labels/zine's. So I've decided to do a band/label/zine of the day post whenever I'm on Facebook. It could someone you've heard of or someone totally new that needs exposure.

My 1st band of the day is - As We Draw. They're a brilliant experimental hardcore band band from Laval, France. Go check them out!

Sunday, 13 November 2011

Yesterday I posted a feature and EP review about Spanish modern metal band No Frequency. The guys were cool enough to answer some questions for me on their band and the Spanish Scene.

You've been together as a band since 2009. What inspired you to form No Frequency?

Well, basically No Frequency started in the way we guess many bands start: to stop losing time and do something usefull instead. It didn't really start as a serious project as you can see, it just started shaping up later with all the other members coming along (Carlos, Pablo and Javi). In 2009 the band finished it's lineup and we started writing songs and playing together.

What is the Spanish metal/hardcore scene like at the moment?

Well, the scene is pretty young at the moment, but it is growing fast and consistently. There aren’t many bands in our country and those that do exist are all friends. But lately there has been a rise of new bands that are coming along with a lot of strength. Another thing is that many more important bands have started visiting our country: Spain wasn't a common destination on the euro-tours. But lately they have started passing by, leaving behind some great shows. A side effect of this is that people are starting to notice the local bands as well, thus helping develop the scene more and more.

How easy has it been for you to play gigs in Spain and have been able to get across to other partsof Europe yet?

We haven't actually gotten the chance to play outside Spain yet, we're looking forward to getting the chance. We've played several gigs around our country though, in cities such as Barcelona, Vigo, A Coruña, Valencia and other cities. It hasn't been easy but neither impossible: it just takes a lot of work and dedication. Knowing who to contact and specially having economic resource (transport and gas) is the key to being able to move around.

What influences you as a band, musical or otherwise?

We listen to a lot of hardcore and metal and all that goes in between. some of us listen from the most old school hardcore, others to the new modern hardcore and others listen to classic metal or metalcore. Some of us also listen to more acoustic or post-rock bands that give us another point of view of music, different from the one that the music we play gives us.

What has been your proudest achievement so far?

Our proudest achievement is to be able to play with all these great bands and people that have become a part of what the Spanish scene is. As we said before, we all know each other and it is always a great pleasure and a great honor to share the stage with them. To be able to play, have fun and continue doing what we love is our proudest achievement.

What plans have you got for the future?

We're working on our future LP now, writing new songs and trying to discover new sounds to make it the most original it can be (within some limits of course). That and try to play some shows out of Spain. Both things would be great to achieve and definitely would take this dream we're living to another step.

Can you tell us about any bands in your local scene that we should check out?

There are many bands from our local scene you should definitely check out. Those that could mostly surprise you are: Memories, A New Heaven Arise, The Eleventh Failure, Thirteen Bled Promises, Dawn Of The Maya or Clouds Over Normandy. They are all great bands and even greater persons.

I came across Disposable when I was doing some research in the Edinburgh heavy metal scene a while back. Now, most of the bands I found were extreme metal bands, which I covered in a previous feature, but these guys are a thrash metal band and one that seems to be going about their thrashing properly.

The new was of thrash or whatever you want to call it, is a funny thing. It's become popular to be in an 80's throwback thrash band, and there's nothing wrong with them, but like all flavour of the month scene's, they can get diluted by the sheer number of bands cropping up. Thankfully, Disposable seem different. They're still young and they remind me of stories I've read of kids in the 80s, forming metal bands because it's dangerous and to play sweaty gigs in really small venues.

Anyway, Disposable is made up of Wilb on bass and vocals, Andbawr and Jackal on guitar and Leez on drums. They even have pseudonyms!

They have just recently released their first EP, which they've been handing out for free at shows to get there music out to an many people as possible. It's also available digitally, so I thought I'd do a small review.

Their EP consists of three tracks, J, Leave This Place and the title track Disposable. The production is really good but still sounds rough and ready, which for thrash metal is no bad thing. Disposable employ relentless drumming, great buzzsaw riffage as well as well placed twin guitar harmonies. There is some very deft guitar solos and the vocals have a nice crossover feel to them, a bit like Slayer and Municipal Waste.

As the EP rages on, you get a great sense of the musicianship that has gone into each song, and for a band that is still young, it's encouraging. They're able to put their own stamp on a genre that can sound formulaic if done half-heatedly and pave the way for great things in the future.

If you live around the Edinburgh area, you can pick up a copy of the EP from the band at shows, but it's also available digitally via Mediafire at http://www.mediafire.com/Disposable.

So, to the first part of my feature on the varied angles of the Scottish metal scene. So far I've covered Thrash metal from Edinburgh, but now I'm moving a short distance away to Glasgow and the gore infested death metal of Agonised Deformity.

Agonised Deformity are a fairly new band themselves, they formed in early 2010 and include a member of much lauded death metallers Cerebral Bore. Forming part of a growing extreme metal scene north of the border, has scene sharing the stage with Cerebral Bore and Severe Torture, amongst others.

Agonised Deformity are Ross Howie on vocals, Andy and Stuart Higgins on guitar and Mike Mcluaghlin on bass. They are currently also looking for a drummer.

Also, earlier this year, Agonised Deformity released a three track demo on CD, Cassette and digitally.

The EP is exactly what you'd expect from a death metal demo. Fast, machine guns drumming with lots of double bass, chainsaw riffing and low/high dual growls. The production of the demo is good, but still sounds distinctly old school. The songs don't outstay their welcome and have enough variation in them, so not as to completely bludgeon the listener.

The song titles remind me very much of Carcass or Cannibal Corpse titles, especially the second track, being called Anatomical Catalogues of Disfigurement. Each song is pure brutal death metal, with no modern metal trappings that other bands seem to fall into. In a scene that is measured by how fast and brutal bands can play, it's still good to see new bands coming through and adding their own spin on death metal. With this demo under their belts and plenty more shows to come, I'm sure that more people will start to pay attention to Agonised Deformity. They have a good pedigree already and that will only grow as they grow as a band.

Saturday, 12 November 2011

No Frequency are a metal band based in Madrid, Spain. They formed in 2009 and this is their debut EP. No Frequency are Carlos on vocals, Lucas and Pablo on guitar, Javi on bass guitar and Pedro on drums.

No Frequency have been making a name for themselves in Spain by sharing stages with the likes of Bleed From Within, Adept and More Than A Thousand.

Well, with song titles like Courage, Truth and Commitment, No Frequency are obviously indebted to the hardcore scene, but in listening to We Lucky Few, their debut EP, they weave more influence and skill into their music, so it's not easy to pigeonhole them.

The music they create consists of crushing vocals, shredding guitar, and a crushing rhythm section, but it's all done with a modern sheen. The use of gang vocals and breakdowns again show their influences, but alongside the other parts of their sound, they add to the overall effect.

The EP is seven tracks long, which is long for an EP, but it doesn't outstay it's welcome by any means. The tracks are on average around the 3-4 minute mark and show that No Frequency know how to right a song that leaves people wanting more. The music isn't all breakdowns and growls though, No Frequency are very skilled musicians, including some cool rock and roll solo's into their songs and even using some scando-inspired off kilter riffs, for variation.

The production is what you'd expect as well, very modern but it's able to let each instrument shine through the mix and the emphasis on the crushing bass drops, will no doubt be popular when used in a live setting. It'll be really interesting to see how these guys develop in the future. They have managed to produce an EP which most new bands would kill to release and with the hooks and skill to back it up, they should start rising quickly, not just in the native Spain, but globally!